This February, the chancellor of justice notified Gustav Adolf High School (GAG), Tallinn English College, Tallinn Secondary School of Science and Tallinn School No. 21 as well as the Tallinn Education Department that the procedures for these four schools' joint high school entrance exams do not comply with the law.

Namely, the procedures required candidates to name up to three schools they wished to attend, as well as indicate their preferred academic track. Candidates also had to rank the schools in order of preference.

Madise stated that a student must be allowed to decide how many schools they apply to, and be permitted to indicate multiple preferences for academic tracks. As a result of her letter, the four schools updated their admissions procedures, allowing students the opportunity to apply to all of them. Despite this, the organizers of the joint exams still asked for the candidates' school preferences.

Late last week, the four schools and the Tallinn Education Department received a new letter, in which the justice chancellor pointed out that the change they made was insufficient, as candidates are still required to rank the schools in order of preference, and this ranking determines which school will invite the student to an interview first. Moreover, none of the schools has yet made it possible to apply to all academic tracks.

"The law permits high schools to assess applicants' knowledge and skills during the admissions process, but the admissions criteria must be based on objective and predisclosed standards," Madise emphasized. "A school may not impose other, subjective requirements."

She added that a candidate's school preference prior to taking the exams is not an objective requirement, as it is essentially just the candidate's wish as to where they would like to attend school, without knowing what the actual possibilities involved are.

The justice chancellor stressed that under the law, a basic school graduate has the right to apply to any open high school spot, and by restricting a candidate's choice of academic track, the school is limiting that graduate's right to apply.

"Please ensure the schools' admission procedures are in compliance with the law," Madise stated. "A school may not limit the right of a young person who has completed basic education to apply to high school."

GAG principal Henrik Salum has previously told ERR that high schools want to know applicants' school preferences due to the practical need to arrange interview schedules between the four schools and optimize the work of the interview panels and teachers involved.

The chancellor of justice expects a response from the schools by May 9.

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